Tuesday, July 25, 2017
What a crazy ostrich reminded me about Jesus and life...
It was a fun ride through a wildlife park with our
grandkids. The grandkids were especially
enjoying getting to feed the animals.
They would come right up to the car and even eat cubes out of tour hands. Everything was wonderful, until
the ostrich showed up. There were
several of them and knowing a little of how aggressive they could be… we were
careful to drop the food pellets out the window instead of holding the food in
our palms.
But there was one ostrich that was very aggressive and stuck
his head right inside the driver’s window.
And that is where I was. My
grandson, Jake, was in the passenger seat and being a quick thinker, he decided to
throw pellets at the ostrich. He assumed
it would be so interested in catching the pellets that it would move its head
back to catch them. So he threw a
pellet. Good arm, good accuracy, and no
cooperation from the ostrich. The food
bounced right of its beak and back into the car. On me.
Which led the ostrich to try and retrieve it.
Let’s just say it is funnier now than it was then.
But I did learn a few things that reminded me of Jesus and
life.
1. Good plans well executed do not
always turn out like you planned. Things happen. Natural disasters, economic downturns, sickness, sin. All of these things change the best laid plans. Which reminds me I am not in control. And ostriches end up
chasing food inside your car instead of outside. Thankful to be reminded God is in control.
2. People are who they are. They do not always act like we want them to,
or like we expect them to act. They are
being formed, shaped, and changed to be more like Jesus. And that is messy. Sometimes they revert to old patterns. Or temptation ambushes them. An ostrich is an ostrich and behaves like
one. People are people, and they act
like it. Only Jesus can change
them. Just like he changed us.
3. This world is not our reality. The whole idea of a wildlife park is not
real. That park has fences, animals are
separated, and the whole thing is fenced in.
We rode through the park with dozens of other cars, feeding “wild”
animals out our window. It was not real.
This world is not our reality
either. It seems as if evil is winning
and Satan is in control. Not true. Jesus has overcome all the powers of
darkness. He has even defeated
death. He is on the throne and someday
will come back to take us to our real home. I need to remember that.
So I was reminded by a crazy ostrich
that I am never really in charge, that people are messy, and that this world is
not my reality.
I need that lesson.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Avery Grace is 10 today...
My Granddaughter, Avery Gilbreth, is 10 today. Here are just some of the reasons I love her and am so proud of her.
She loves her family. Her Mommy and her Mimi are her best friends. She loves her Bubba Jake. Loves her cousins. Her family really are her people.
Fun happens when the Ave is around. Laughter, joy, good times. She wakes up happy and stays that way.
She is amazing with the younger girls that follow her around at the ballpark. She has a little posse of girls that hang with her. They play slime, she talks to them, she has time for them. She's their friend and is a great role model.
She loves animals. Her heart is tender and she wants to adopt -- and sometimes does adopt -- every stray animal she sees.
Great athlete. Gymnastics is her sport. State champion. Fearless, hard working, fierce, and loves to compete.
She loves to help. Helped me put in the garden this year. Helped Mimi do the VBS teeshirts.
Does not speak bad about people. Even when they are not kind or good.
Is friends with everyone. Money and popularity do not matter to her. People do.
But most of all, she loves God and Jesus. I do not know what the future will be for Avery, but I do know it will involve great things for the Kingdom.
I love you Avery Grace.
So thanks God for Ave. Keep molding her into a disciple of your Son. Protect her from evil and do amazing Kingdom things thru her.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Some of my Shepherds are no longer elders...
It started with my grandson Jake a few years ago. He was in the hospital with a scary case of Kawasaki disease and some of our elders came up to pray over him. Some time later he saw one of them in a restaurant and asked his Mom if he could go say hi to one of his elders. He still refers to him as his elder. But this man is no longer an elder at our church. Due to some family issues, he resigned. But Jake still thinks of him as his elder. And if Jake was in trouble, I believe he absolutely would talk to this man.
So he is still his shepherd tho he is no longer his elder.
And I have realized I have men that are no longer serving as elders that I definitely consider my shepherds. These are men that resigned for different reasons. Some felt they needed to "retire" and let others be elders. Some had family situations that required a great deal of time. Others decided the church politics were not worth it. But at one time, our church selected them to serve.
I recently made a list of men I would call if I needed real shepherding. Not men who would make decisions, but real elders. Men who lived like Jesus, who knew Scripture, who had faithful families. Men who could be elders. I also have a number of friends that I trust but who for various reasons would not be elders. But I am thinking about elders who are not listed on the website and don't come to the meetings. But who our congregation very much recognizes as shepherds.
So my list of real shepherds was about 50% men who are currently elders and about 50% who no longer hold that title.
This blog has no agenda to change our church structure. I am not advocating having elders to decide things and shepherds to take care of people.
It is more my realization that the men I would trust to get my family to heaven, the men I do trust to get my family to heaven, are still my shepherds. Just not all of them are elders any longer.
I am not the only one who feels this way. I often ask people in crises to tell me other elders they would like to work with me to help them thru the current struggle. Often they list elders, and often they list men who used to be elders. When I point that out, they often ask if they can still get them to help. And we do.
Shepherds who are no longer elders.
I am thinking a lot about this lately.
And have no idea where I am going with it.
Just thinking out loud.
So he is still his shepherd tho he is no longer his elder.
And I have realized I have men that are no longer serving as elders that I definitely consider my shepherds. These are men that resigned for different reasons. Some felt they needed to "retire" and let others be elders. Some had family situations that required a great deal of time. Others decided the church politics were not worth it. But at one time, our church selected them to serve.
I recently made a list of men I would call if I needed real shepherding. Not men who would make decisions, but real elders. Men who lived like Jesus, who knew Scripture, who had faithful families. Men who could be elders. I also have a number of friends that I trust but who for various reasons would not be elders. But I am thinking about elders who are not listed on the website and don't come to the meetings. But who our congregation very much recognizes as shepherds.
So my list of real shepherds was about 50% men who are currently elders and about 50% who no longer hold that title.
This blog has no agenda to change our church structure. I am not advocating having elders to decide things and shepherds to take care of people.
It is more my realization that the men I would trust to get my family to heaven, the men I do trust to get my family to heaven, are still my shepherds. Just not all of them are elders any longer.
I am not the only one who feels this way. I often ask people in crises to tell me other elders they would like to work with me to help them thru the current struggle. Often they list elders, and often they list men who used to be elders. When I point that out, they often ask if they can still get them to help. And we do.
Shepherds who are no longer elders.
I am thinking a lot about this lately.
And have no idea where I am going with it.
Just thinking out loud.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
God did an amazing thing 17 years ago...
It actually occurred on July 1 but this is the first chance I have had to write about it, so congratulations to my son Joe Don and his wife Jamie. They just celebrated 17 years together. And it is a God thing. Here are just a few of the reasons I love them and are proud of them.
They are still in love with each other. You can see it and know it if you spend any time with them. They work to make time for their relationship. They have fun together.
God is absolutely and without a doubt the center of their home. They read Scripture, they pray, they give generously, they open their home. They are deeply involved in their church.
They are raising three amazing kids (yes I know they are my grands and if you want to know why they are amazing, check out my blog on their birthdays). They both work hard at parenting. They support each other. They do family mission trips.
They are better together than they would be apart. They give God the glory for what happens in their life. They can discuss, disagree, hold each other accountable, and do it in the context of love and submission.
Joe Don is a leader and Jamie is his partner. And they both put God first. And they both put the kids third -- after God and each other.
They are doing some great Kingdom work. People are going to be in heaven because of what they have -- and are -- doing. This world is better because God put them together.
I am so proud of them and love them so much.
Thanks God for connecting Joe Don and Jamie. You get the credit and the glory for what they are doing in the Kingdom. Keep blessing them and their family.
